The Audi A3 family of three door Hatchbacks, five door Sportback, four door Saloon and the two door Cabriolet soft-top have received a mid-life refresh. These refreshed and ready to go third generation A3s adopt the brand’s latest styling changes, have new or improved engines, increased standard equipment levels and the latest driving support and infotainment systems. Deliveries to UK … [Read more...]
First Drives
Sunday drive: Mini Clubman All4 Estate
The Mini Clubman estate with ALL4 is the first all-wheel-drive Mini to come off the Plant Oxford production lines. The SUV styled Mini Countryman All4 versions to date have been built by Magna Steyr in Austria. The Clubman All4 line up is the Cooper S and Cooper SD and prices start from £24,305. The new generation and larger Mini Clubman, six door estates were officially … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Kia Picanto for silver anniversary
During 25 years of trading in the UK, Kia has sold over 750,000 cars, almost half in the last five years and the target is to reach the one million mark by 2020, helped by models such as the Picanto city car. Kia was established in South Korea in 1944 building bicycles, then motorcycles and eventually cars. In Kia’s first year in the UK market they recorded 1,800 sales, a figure that it now … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: New Mini Convertible
A brace of new Mini models is coming of the UK production lines at Plant Oxford which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary of Mini production under the ownership of BMW Group. Arriving in time for summer is the new Mini Convertible priced from £18,475 to £28,205 with a four car line-up of Cooper, Cooper DS, Cooper S and John Cooper Works. Last year Mini globally built 340,000 cars, … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: New Kia Sportage
With SUV sector sales soaring 21% Kia has introduced the fourth generation Sportage mid-sized Crossover SUV and it continues to be their best selling model range claiming almost 30% of their 78,489 record total sales last year. The new Sportage range costs from £17,995 and goes up to £30,710. Such a wide range of prices covers a wide range of models that are all five door seating five people. … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: 2016 Maserati Ghibli
With its sporty glamour, aggressive front grille and dominating Maserati badge, the 2016 Ghibli doesn’t have to do much to capture your attention. The Ghibli was first launched at the Turin motor show in 1966 as a two-seater coupé but has since transformed into a smaller and less expensive version of the Maserati Quattroporte. Maserati’s are renowned for being exclusive and expensive but, … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Lexus RC 200t 2+2 Coupe
Originally designed as an RC concept coupe, such was the public and media reaction to it at various international motor shows that Lexus has now built it, but just a strictly limited number. The RC 2+2 coupe rear wheel drive is available in 300h form with a full hybrid 2.5-litre petrol/electric motor with 220bhp power output or a 2.0-litre turbocharged 200t petrol engine … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Audi S8 Plus
By David Miles Not only are Audi’s UK record sales driven by the constant addition of new core model ranges, they have now embarked on performance derivatives with Plus and RS badges. The Audi A8 range of large executive saloons with quattro all wheel drive is long established both in standard and long wheelbase forms with powerful petrol and diesel engine options. Now comes the 4.0-litre, … [Read more...]
Hotter Skoda Octavia comes for summer
Skoda’s UK new car sales for the first quarter of this year are up by 6.4% to 27,039 units, ahead of the overall market growth and they are going to hot up even more with the arrival of the latest Octavia. This is better news as last year their UK sales dipped slightly due to the run out of old models, like their Roomster compact MPV, and introduction of new models like the highly rated large … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Range Rover Evoque Convertible
By David Miles It was only a matter of time before the workhorse became a dressage contender. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is the latest in a highly successful series which owes its family blood line to the luxury off-roader which really created a whole new sector in 1970. Heralded by Land Rover as the World’s first luxury compact SUV convertible, … [Read more...]